Wednesday, August 6, 2014

So this floral romper is the most comfortable piece of clothing I have ever made. True story! I used McCall's 6997, copyright 1994. Hard to believe that I was a junior in high school the year this pattern was published!

I remember this particular style of roomy romper / jumper dress being popular during the 1990s, but I somehow missed ever owning one. I cut the size 10 and probably could have gone even smaller, but I actually dig the roominess.

Back view. This romper involved lots of gathering. From the back, you can really tell this is a romper, but I received several compliments on my "cute dress" when I wore it to work the other day, so it's almost imperceptible to the naked eye (and the business of the print probably helps).

Side view. You can really see the fullness of the the romper here.

Here's a link to the fabric I used! It's floral rayon challis from Wanderlust Fabrics. I'm so delighted with this fabric! It was so easy to work with and the drape is absolutely dreamy! From the very first moment I saw it, I knew that it would be the perfect fabric to use for my retro 1990s romper. In fact, it's described by Wanderlust Fabrics as "90s Inspired."

Front and back views, sans human model.

Cap sleeves. I finished the interior seams and pockets with my serger and hand sewed the facings into place by hand. I used a blind hem stitch for the bottom hem.

Close-up of a few details: Gathers and the self-fabric covered buttons. It's hard to even see the buttons due to the extreme business of the print!

This romper was super-easy to put together. Between the cost of the fabric, pattern (found at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore for only .25 cents!) and covered buttons, it only set me back about $20.00....SCORE!

Sunday, August 3, 2014

I have a couple projects currently in the works! First of all, I scored an amazing 1970s pantsuit at the Goodwill in Black Mountain, NC that I want to alter into something more wearable. Here it is in all of its tacky floral polyester glory! I'm keeping the pants as is; all they need is to be taken in at the elastic waistline.

I'm definitely going to reconstruct the butterfly collar shirt and mix it with a solid colored stretch knit fabric. I'm thinking about using the Briar pattern as a template.

And here's a preview of my latest make. All I have left is the bottom hem! I used an incredible rayon from Wanderlust Fabrics. The pattern is from 1994 and I thought the floral print was very reminiscent of the 1990s, especially when it comes to baby doll jumpers, which is the view I'm making.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Surprisingly, I've managed to complete a decent number (for me, anyway!) of projects so far this summer. Sewing isn't really the issue so much as finding the time to model and photograph everything for the blog. So I've decided to do an all-encompassing round-up!

First up is McCall's 6965. Let me tell you, this retro flared shorts pattern is a definite winner! I love it so much! They are a ridiculously quick and easy make. I used a red linen look fabric which really helps with defining the "flare" of the cut.

Admittedly, this kind of looks like a high school cheerleading skirt on, but I still dig it! Next time I will make them in a draper fabric like rayon.

Next up: The Wiksten Tank. Another ridiculously quick and easy summer project! I salvaged the fabric (cotton/poly blend) from two vintage pillow cases that I thrifted for a mere .50 cents. SCORE!

This was my most time-intensive project of the bunch: The now-iconic-within-the-home-sewing-community Bombshell Swimsuit. This swimsuit is nothing short of amazing....A true miracle....A marvel of retro feminine engineering. I feel so incredibly sexy and confident while wearing it and I will most definitely make another next summer!

Saturday, July 12, 2014

I just nabbed a lot of 35 McCall's, Simplicity, Butterick and Vogue mini catalogs / pamphlets on eBay, all from my favorite decade - the 1970s! I just love these little pieces of vintage sewing ephemera and, since this particular decade seems to be more reviled than revered for its fashion legacy, it appears that I might be able to continue amassing a collection that won't break the bank (I got all 35 for only $5.00!).

Are there any fellow 1970s fashion enthusiasts out there? If so, then this is for you! I've scanned the "Carefree Pattern From McCall's" issue from April 1973 for you to feast your eyes upon! This seems to be a special cute couples-themed issue and, unlike most of these free mini catalogs, this particular issue contains no text of write ups about the fashions.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

TA-DAAAAH! So it would appear that I am sewing and blogging again after a one year+ absence! I was lucky enough to nab a job almost one year ago sewing cushions and upholstery for one of the few locally owned, strictly made-in-the-U.S.A. furniture companies left in my part of the country. Business has been good so I've been extremely busy. I also have a rambunctious 4-year-old son, which absorbs a lot of my sewing time. The plant was closed for the week of the 4th, so I took a minor "sewcation" and actually had a chance to make a few things for myself.

I'm in dire need of shorts, so my first recorded make after one year: the Katy and Laney Tap Shorts! These were incredibly quick and easy to construct. I opted to make view A which features diagonal seams at the front. No pockets, just a faced waistband, back darts and invisible side-seam zipper. There are thorough instructions for back welt pockets, but I just wanted to be able to sew something quickly in my limited free time so I nixed those.

I'm a sucker for a high waist, and these are a true high-waisted pair of shorts! They're extremely comfortable and flattering.

Back view and side view. The high waistline is flattering to most backsides, I think! And this is probably the best and most invisible invisible zipper I've ever sewn! Their instructions for sewing the zipper are fantastic.

I used a vintage lightweight pinwale corduroy from my deep within my stash (and when I mean deep, I mean that this particular yardage has been in my stash for well over ten - yes, TEN - years! I thrifted it from a Habitat for Humanity ReStore and could never find the right project for it, mainly because it was only a one yard piece. View A of the Katy & Laney Tap Shorts only requires one yard of fabric so I finally found the perfect project !

Closer photo of the vintage pinwale corduroy. Hopefully I will be able to photograph and blog a few more of the projects that I made over my "sewcation" sooner than later. Thanks for stopping by and happy sewing!

Monday, April 15, 2013

I have nothing but enthusiastic RAVES for the Grainline Scout Woven Tee! It's a fairly simple to make, super-flattering and an easy-to-wear design. And well-worth shelling out $6.50 for! For the front of the tee I used reclaimed fabric from a vintage 1970s floral print scarf.

Yes - quell horreur! - I plead guilty to cutting up a perfectly fine and wearable vintage scarf, but it was put to good use, right? And I have a confession - I have tons more of these oversized vintage scarfs in my stash just like this that I've stored up from my various thrifting adventures. I find that, at $.50 cents to $2.00 each, they are an affordable fabric option for small projects like this and usually offer nice pops of color or unique design that's usually hard to find in modern fabric.

Since I only had a small amount of scarf fabric for the front I opted for a matching rust-colored rayon challis for the back and the sleeves. I found this fabric at a thrift store as well. This tee is extremely comfy to wear I really love the swingy fit! Although the floral scarf fabric is slightly sheer, I opted not to line it because I have a feeling this summer is going to be a hot one and I plan to wear this often!